Miter for bandsaw - Need to jerryrig mounting for one.

[David Metzman]

I recently upgraded the motor on my band saw. I have one additional issue that I wonder if it can be resolved easily and inexpensively. There is no real miter groove in the table. See attached picture. I think that I need figure out a track that takes a miter (and what miter) to clamp or bolt to the side. The groove that is there is very narrow, has straight sides and ends before the end the table. So besides not being able to find a miter to fit, I do not think that it would work correctly. Any ideas? The groove is just under one-half an inch. Must be metric - it is 12mm. Saw is 1980's Makita. Thanks, David364019

[Brice Rogers]

Most of the equipment in my shop that uses a mitre fixture has a 3/4" width slot. But I do have a carbide grinder that has a 7/16" slot. If there is enough metal on on your table, I suppose that you could take it to a machinist and have them widen it. Or you could take your mitre fixture and modify it to have a narrower foot. When I look at my various mitre fixtures, they consist of only three basic pieces: (1) the foot - - just a piece of metal roughly 3/4" x 1/4", (2) the gauge portion (a casting with the numbers and angular graduations, and (3) a threaded knob that pulls the foot tight against the gauge.

Since you are a woodworker, you could easily make a mitre gauge/fixture out of some hardwood.

Having a slot that doesn't go the length of the table probably isn't going to limit you very much. When you are pushing a piece at an angle through your saw, all you need to do it to push it past the blade.

[John K Jordan]

...Having a slot that doesn't go the length of the table probably isn't going to limit you very much. When you are pushing a piece at an angle through your saw, all you need to do it to push it past the blade.

I almost never set mine to an angle but use it to cut square ends. That kind of slot would work fine. I've seen people make custom sliding bars from hardwood, aluminum, and HDPE.

JKJ

[Sid Matheny]

I would add a MDF table on top and rout the slot where and what size you want.

[Brice Rogers]

I almost never set mine to an angle but use it to cut square ends. That kind of slot would work fine. I've seen people make custom sliding bars from hardwood, aluminum, and HDPE.

JKJ
Same here - - I only use it to cut a square end. If I was doing cutting for segments, I would not rely on the miter device but would built a sled and cut it on my table saw.

[Chris Parks]

Build a sled guided by the table sides. There is a recent thread on this from memory.

[Thomas Canfield]

I would add a MDF table on top and rout the slot where and what size you want.
I agree with Sid if you can tolerate the 3/4" loss of height. The MDF clamped to existing will allow using a standard miter gage and also be an easy fix and my first try.

I also agree that making a wood guide or getting a metal bar machined to fit the existing groove and attach to miter head and about 1/2 the length of the groove would allow using the stopped groove and do the majority of cuts.